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Johannes Persson is professor of theoretical philosophy. He holds a Ph. D. In theoretical philosophy (Causal Facts, Stockholm: Thales, 1997) specialising in theories of causation. He is involved in two large research programs: "Vetenskap oct beprövad erfarenhet/Science and Proven Experience" (www.vbe.lu.se) and Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability (www.lucid.lu.se).
Johannes Persson is dean of the joint faculties of humanities and theology since 2018
He was a visiting fellow at Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh in 2007.
Research
Research groups
Present projects
Completed projects
- Intervention studies: philosophy of science, decision, and risk (research leader)
- LUCID - Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability (research leader)
- The ontology and epistemology of mechanisms (research leader)
- Lighting for Sustainable Development - ASG, Pufendorf IAS
- Values, Decision Making and Risk: current perspectives and future research
About the research
Johannes is involved in two large research programs. 1) "Vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet" or "Science and Proven experience", http://www.vbe.lu.se/ (funded by RJ, 2015-2021) focuses on a Swedish concept and phenomenon of considerable legal importance. The program concerns the integration of scientific evidence and proven experience that the Swedish concept implies. 2) The Linnaeus programme "LUCID" http://www.lucid.lu.se/ (funded by Formas, 2008-2018) (similarly) studies the integration of social and natural dimensions of sustainability.
Johannes' research in both programmes concerns central concepts, philosophy of science, evidence-formation, decision-making, and philosophy of risk.
Publications
Books (5)
- Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2013). Vetenskapsteori för sanningssökare. Fri tanke förlag.
- Persson, J. (2007). Risker i kunskapens mellanrum. Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Persson, J. (1997). Causal Facts. Library of Theoria, 22. Thales. Dissertation.
- Persson, J. (1997). Causal Facts. Library of Theoria 22. Thales.
- Persson, J. (1995). On the mechanisms of causal facts. Department of Philosophy, Lund University. Licentiate thesis.
Editorships (9)
- Persson, J., Hermerén, G. & Sjöstrand, E. (2015). (Eds.) Against boredom : 17 essays on ignorance, values, creativity, metaphysics, decision-making, truth, preference, art, processes, Ramsey, ethics, rationality, validity, human ills, science, and eternal life to Nils-Eric Sahlin on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Fri tanke förlag.
- Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2008). (Eds.) Risk & Risici. Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Hanson, B., Egonsson, D., Maurin, A.-S. & Persson, J. (2007). (Eds.) Insikt och handling 22: Temanummer om filosofins nytta. Insikt och handling. Hans Larsson Samfundet.
- Persson, J. & Ylikoski, P. (2007). (Eds.) Rethinking Explanation. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science. Springer.
- Bird, A. & Persson, J. (2006). (Eds.) Synthese Vol 149 No. 3 Metaphysics in Science. Synthese. Springer.
- Brinck, I., Halldén, S., Maurin, A.-S. & Persson, J. (2005). (Eds.) Risk och det levande mänskliga. Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Boholm, Å., Hansson, S. O., Persson, J. & Peterson, M. (2002). (Eds.) Osäkerhetens horisonter. Kulturella och etiska perspektiv på samhällets riskfrågor. Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Bergström, L. & Persson, J. (2000). (Eds.) Filosofisk tidskrift 2000/4. Filosofisk tidskrift, 4. Thales.
- Persson, J. (1999). (Ed.) Special issue on Lund conference on explanation. Synthese, 120(1). Springer.
Articles (45)
- Anttila, S., Persson, J., Rosén, M., Vareman, N., Vitols, S. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2019). Ruling out risks in medical research. Journal of Risk Research, 22, 796-802. Routledge.
- Blennow, K., Persson, E. & Persson, J. (2019). Are values related to culture, identity, community cohesion and sense of place the values most vulnerable to climate change?. PLoS ONE, 14. Public Library of Science.
- Persson, J., Vareman, N., Wallin, A., Wahlberg, L. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2019). Science and proven experience : a Swedish variety of evidence based medicine and a way to better risk analysis?. Journal of Risk Research, 22, 833-843. Routledge.
- Stenwall, R., Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2019). A Reply to Mellor’s “Propensities and Possibilities”. Metaphysica, 20, 149-150. Springer.
- Anttila, S., Persson, J., Vareman, N. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2018). Challenge of communicating uncertainty in systematic reviews when applying GRADE ratings. Evidence-Based Medicine. BMJ Publishing Group.
- Persson, J., Anttila, S. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2018). Hur förstå "och" i "vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet"?. Filosofisk tidskrift, 39, 44-54. Thales.
- Persson, J., Hornborg, A., Olsson, L. & Thorén, H. (2018). Toward an alternative dialogue between the social and natural sciences. Ecology and Society, 23. The Resilience Alliance.
- Persson, J., Johansson, E. & Olsson, L. (2018). Harnessing local knowledge for scientific knowledge production : challenges and pitfalls within evidence-based sustainability studies. Ecology and Society, 23. The Resilience Alliance.
- Persson, J., Thorén, H. & Olsson, L. (2018). The interdisciplinary decision problem : Popperian optimism and Kuhnian pessimism in forestry. Ecology and Society, 23. The Resilience Alliance.
- Stenwall, R., Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2018). A new challenge for objective uncertainties and the propensity theorist. Metaphysica, 19, 219-224. Springer.
- Wahlberg, L. & Persson, J. (2017). Importing notions in health law: science and proven experience. European Journal of Health Law, 24, 565-590. Brill.
- Anttila, S., Persson, J., Vareman, N. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2016). Conclusiveness resolves the conflict between quality of evidence and imprecision in GRADE. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2016, 1-5. Elsevier.
- Blennow, K., Persson, J., Persson, E. & Hanewinkel, M. (2016). Forest Owners' Response to Climate Change : University Education Trumps Value Profile. PLoS ONE, 11. Public Library of Science.
- Olsson, L., Jerneck, A., Thorén, H., Persson, J. & O Byrne, D. (2015). Why resilience is unappealing to social science : Theoretical and empirical investigations of the scientific use of resilience. Science Advances, 1. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
- Persson, J. & Wahlberg, L. (2015). Vår erfarenhet av beprövad erfarenhet: några begreppsprofiler och ett verktyg för precisering. Läkartidningen, 112, 2230-2232. Swedish Medical Association.
- Persson, J., Sahlin, N.-E. & Wallin, A. (2015). Climate change, values, and the cultural cognition thesis. Environmental Science and Policy, 52, 1-5. Elsevier.
- Thorén, H. & Persson, J. (2015). Resilience: Some Philosophical Remarks on Defining Ostensively and Stipulatively. Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy, 11, 64-74. Proquest.
- Blennow, K., Persson, J., Wallin, A., Vareman, N. & Persson, E. (2014). Understanding risk in forest ecosystem services: implications for effective risk management, communication and planning. Forestry, 87, 219-228. Oxford University Press.
- Thorén, H. & Persson, J. (2013). The philosophy of interdisciplinarity: sustainability science and problem-feeding. Journal for General Philosophy of Science, 44, 337-355. Springer.
- Blennow, K., Persson, J., Tome, M. & Hanewinkel, M. (2012). Climate Change : Believing and seeing implies adapting. PLoS ONE, 7, 1-7. Public Library of Science.
- Persson, J. (2012). Mechanistic explanation in social contexts: Elster and the problem of local scientific growth. Social Epistemology, 26, 105-114. Routledge.
- Persson, J. (2012). Social laws should be conceived as a special case of mechanisms : A reply to Daniel Little. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 1, 12-14.
- Persson, J. (2012). Social mechanisms and explaining how : A reply to Kimberly Chuang. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, 1, 37-41.
- Persson, J. & Wallin, A. (2012). Why internal validity is not prior to external validity: Paper presented at PSA 2012. Brunswik Society Newsletter, 27, 37-38.
- Jerneck, A., Olsson, L., Ness, B., Anderberg, S., Baier, M., Clark, E., Hickler, T., Hornborg, A., Kronsell, A., Lövbrand, E. & Persson, J. (2011). Structuring Sustainability Science. Sustainability Science, 6, 69-82. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2011). Explanation in metaphysics?. Metaphysica, 12, 165-181. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2010). Activity-based accounts of mechanism and the threat of polygenic effects. Erkenntnis, 72, 135-149. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2010). Misconceptions of positivism and five unnecessary science theoretic mistakes they bring in their train. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 47, 651-661. Elsevier.
- Sahlin, N.-E., Wallin, A. & Persson, J. (2010). Decision Science : From Ramsey to Dual Process Theories. Synthese, 172, 129-143. Springer.
- Vareman, N. & Persson, J. (2010). Why separate risk assessors and risk managers? Further external values affecting the risk assessor qua risk assessor. Journal of Risk Research, 13, 687-700. Routledge.
- Blennow, K. & Persson, J. (2009). Climate change: Motivation for taking measure to adapt. Global Environmental Change, 19, 100-104. Global Environmental Change, Elsevier.
- Persson, J. (2009). Semmelweis’s methodology from the modern stand-point: intervention studies and causal ontology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 40, 204-209. Elsevier.
- Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2009). A philosophical account of interventions and causal representation in nursing research : a discussion paper. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46, 547-556. Elsevier.
- Persson, J. (2007). Filosofins möte med andra vetenskaper och filosofens hårda skal. I & H : Insikt och handling : humanistiskt debattforum, 22, 157-165. Doxa.
- Bird, A. & Persson, J. (2006). Introduction. Synthese, 149, 445-450. Springer.
- Blennow, K., Bergh, J., Lärnås, T., Nilsson, U., Persson, J. & Sallnäs, O. (2006). ”Modul 1 Skogsbruk”. Klimatet och skogen – underlag för nationell forskning. Kungl. Skogs- och Lantbruksakademiens tidskrift, 145, 13-18. Kungliga Skogs och Lantbruks Akademien.
- Persson, J. (2006). Compartment causation. Synthese, 149, 535-550. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2005). Tropes as Mechanisms. Foundations of Science, 10, 371-393. Kluwer.
- Persson, J. (2003). Objektiva risker?. Filosofisk tidskrift, 2003. Thales.
- Persson, J. (2002). Cause, effect, and fake causation. Synthese, 131, 129-143. Springer.
- Maurin, A.-S. & Persson, J. (2001). Realistic metaphysics: An interview with D. H. Mellor. Theoria, 67, 96-113. Thales.
- Persson, J. (2001). The laws' properties (2001-11-26). Preprint without journal information. Manne Siegbahn Institute.
- Persson, J. (2000). Om komplexa egenskaper. Filosofisk tidskrift, 33-42. Thales.
- Persson, J. (1999). The determinables of explanatory mechanisms. Synthese, 120, 77-87. Springer.
- Persson, J. (1998). Den engelska och den franska hjärnan - Duhem om två kunskapsstrategier. Filosofisk tidskrift. Thales.
Book chapters (32)
- Persson, J. (2019). Mellanvetenskapens beslutsproblem. Kungl. Vitterhets historie och antikvitetsakademiens årsbok, 129-138. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Persson, J. (2019). Will science and proven experience converge or diverge? : The ontological considerations. In Hansson Wahlberg, T. & Stenwall, R. (Eds.) Maurinian Truths : Essays in honor of Anna-Sofia Maurin on her 50th birthday (pp. 97-106). Department of Philosophy, Lund University.
- Persson, J. (2018). Vad präglar samspelet mellan vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet inom högre utbildning. In Jerneck, M. & Sjöholm, C. (Eds.) Är det någon konst att vara akademiker? : Ett symposium om Academic Skills (pp. 33-41). Lund University.
- Persson, A. & Persson, J. (2017). Vetenskaplig grund och beprövad erfarenhet i högre utbildning och skola. Vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet - skola. Lund University.
- Persson, J. (2017). Är vetenskaplig grund och beprövad erfarenhet i skolan samma sak som vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet i hälso- och sjukvård?. Vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet - skola. Lund University.
- Olsson, L., Jerneck, A., Thorén, H., Persson, J. & O Byrne, D. (2016). A Social Science Perspective on Resilience. In Chandler, D. & Coaffee, J. (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of International Resilience (pp. 49-62). Routledge.
- Persson, J. & Wallin, A. (2015). The (misconceived) distinction between internal and external validity. In Persson, J., Hermerén, G. & Sjöstrand, E. (Eds.) Against boredom: 17 essays on ignorance, values, creativity, metaphysics, decision-making, truth, preference, art, processes, Ramsey, ethics, rationality, validity, human ills, science, and eternal life to Nils-Eric Sahlin on the occasion of his 60th birthday (pp. 187-195). Fri tanke förlag.
- Brinck, I., Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2014). Why metaphysicians do not explain. In Reboul, A. (Ed.) Mind, Values and Metaphysics (pp. 5-19). Springer.
- Hermerén, G., Brinck, I., Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2014). Value uncertainty and value instability in decision-making. In Dutant, J., Fassio, D. & Meylan, A. (Eds.) Liber Amicorum Pascal Engel (pp. 100-110). University of Geneva.
- Persson, J. (2014). Att leda och administrera. In Eldén, S. & Jonsson, A. (Eds.) Efter festen: Om konsten att utvecklas från doktor till docent. Studentlitteratur AB.
- Brinck, I., Hermerén, G., Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2011). Why metaphysicians do not explain. In Reboul, A. (Ed.) Philosophical papers dedicated to Kevin Mulligan. Université de Genève, Faculté des Lettres.
- Karlsson, R., Laike, T., Samuelson, L., Arfvidsson, J., Dubois, M.-C., Johnsson, P., Nilsson, D.-E., Nilsson, E., Persson, J., Sjöberg, K., Ståhl, L.-H. & Widell, S. (2011). Begreppsbildning och ämnesområden för flervetenskaplig ljusforskning. : akademisk forskning för näringslivsutveckling för funktionell energieffektiv belysning som befrämjar hälsa och välbefinnande. Flervetenskaplig ljusforskning : PUFENDORF INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES.
- Persson, J. (2011). Three conceptions of explaining how possibly - and one reductive account. In de Regt, H., Hartmann, S. & Okasha, S. (Eds.) The European Philosophy of Science Association Proceedings, EPSA Philosophy of Science: Amsterdam 2009 (pp. 275-286), 1. Springer.
- Sahlin, N.-E., Persson, J. & Vareman, N. (2011). Unruhe und Ungewissheit – Stem Cells and Risks. In Hug, K. & Hermerén, G. (Eds.) Translational Stem Cell Research: Issues Beyond the Debate on the Moral Status of the Human Embryo (pp. 421-429). Humana Press.
- Persson, J. (2010). Mechanisms: Are activities up to the job?. In M, S., M, D. & M, R. (Eds.) EPSA Epistemology and Methodology of Science: Launch of the European Philosophy of Science Association (pp. 201-209). Springer.
- Persson, J. (2008). Risk, fara och riskobjekt. In Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (Eds.) Risk & Risici (pp. 221-230). Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Persson, J. (2007). IBE AND EBI: ON EXPLANATION BEFORE INFERENCE. In Persson, J. & Ylikoski, P. (Eds.) Rethinking Explanation. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2007). The Best Swimmers Drown – Mechanisms and Epistemic Risks: A constructive critique of Elster. In Rønnow-Rasmussen, T., Petersson, B., Josefsson, J. & Egonsson, D. (Eds.) Hommage à Wlodek; 60 Philosophical papers dedicated to Wlodek Rabinowicz. Department of Philosophy, Lund University.
- Wahlberg, L. & Persson, J. (2007). Riskobjekten, robustheten och experterna. In Persson, J. (Ed.) Risker i kunskapens mellanrum: en studie i tre delar (positioner, färdriktning, kartans vita fält). Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Persson, J. (2006). Levi on the Reality of Dispositions. In Olsson, E. J. (Ed.) Knowledge and Inquiry. Essays on the Pragmatism of Isaac Levi (pp. 313-326). Cambridge University Press.
- Persson, J. (2005). The Laws' Properties. In Faye, J., Scheffler, U. & Urchs, M. (Eds.) Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science, Nature's principles (pp. 239-254), 4. Springer.
- Persson, J. (2005). The Laws' Properties. In Faye, J., Scheffler, U. & Urchs, M. (Eds.) Nature's principles (pp. 239-254). Springer.
- Vareman, N. & Persson, J. (2005). Kan riskbedömare och riskhanterare leva åtskilda?. In Brinck, I., Halldén, S., Maurin, A.-S. & Persson, J. (Eds.) Risk och det levande mänskliga (pp. 181-210). Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Wahlberg, L. & Persson, J. (2005). Nya perspektiv på robusthet. In Brinck, I., Halldén, S., Maurin, A.-S. & Persson, J. (Eds.) Risk och det levande mänskliga (pp. 211-233). Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Persson, J. (2004). Riskkommunikation och tillit. In Wickenberg, P., Nilsson, A. & Steneroth Sillén, M. (Eds.) Miljö och hållbar utveckling: samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv från en lundahorisont (pp. 65-84). Studentlitteratur AB.
- Persson, J. (2002). De förbisedda objektsaspekterna av risk. In Boholm, Å., Hansson, S. O., Persson, J. & Peterson, M. (Eds.) Osäkerhetens horisonter (pp. 15-28). Bokförlaget Nya Doxa.
- Persson, J. (2002). Myran, spindeln och den personligt erövrade kunskapen. In Franck, O. (Ed.) Unga filosofer : antologi för gymnasiet. Natur och kultur.
- Persson, J. (2001). What is explanatory asymmetry?. In Kiikeri, M. & Ylikoski, P. (Eds.) Explanatory Connections: Electronic essays dedicated to Matti Sintonen (pp. 1-22).
- Persson, J. (2000). Examining the facts. In Faye, J., Scheffler, U. & Urchs, M. (Eds.) Things, facts and events (pp. 87-107), 76. Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities. Rodopi.
- Persson, J. (2000). Tiden, skenet och verkligheten. Har du tid? NFRs årsbok, 101-112. NFR.
- Persson, J. & Sahlin, N.-E. (1999). A fundamental problem of causation (with no solution). In Nils-Eric, S., Sören, H., Hansson, B. & Rabinowicz, W. (Eds.) Spinning Ideas: Electronic Essays Dedicated to Peter Gärdenfors on His Fiftieth Birthday. Department of Philosophy, Lund University.
- Sahlin, N.-E. & Persson, J. (1994). Epistemic risk: The significance of knowing what one does not know. In Brehmer, B. & Sahlin, N.-E. (Eds.) Future risks and risk management (pp. 37-62), Technology, risk, and society vol 9. Kluwer.
Prefaces (1)
Conference contributions (5)
- Persson, J., Vareman, N., Wallin, A., Wahlberg, L. & Sahlin, N.-E. (2016). Science and proven experience : a Swedish variety of evidence-based medicine?.
- Persson, J. & Wallin, A. (2012). Why internal validity is not prior to external validity. Philosophy of Science Assoc. 23rd Biennial Mtg (San Diego, CA) > PSA 2012 Contributed Papers. Phil Sci Archives.
- Thorén, H. & Persson, J. (2011). Philosophy of Interdisciplinarity: Problem‐Feeding, Conceptual Drift, and Methodological Migration. PhilSci Archive.
- Persson, J. (2009). Three conceptions of explaining how possibly—and one reductive account. PhilSci Archive. PhilSci Archive.
- Persson, J. (2007). Mechanism-as-activity and the threat of polygenic effects. EPSA07: 1st Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (Madrid, 15-17 November, 2007).. Phil Sci Archive.
Reports (1)
Working papers (2)
- Persson, J. (2007). The Best Swimmers Drown – Mechanisms and Epistemic Risks: A constructive critique of Elster. Hommage à Wlodek. Philosophical papers dedicated to Wlodek Rabinowicz.
- Persson, J. (2001). Unscrambling nomological machines (2001-06-19).
Reviews (2)
- Persson, J. (2003). Review of Max Kistler’s ”Causalité et lois de la nature”. Mind, 112, 741-746. Oxford University Press.
- Persson, J. (1994). Review of David Owens: Causes and Coincidences. Theoria, LX, 164-167. Thales.
Miscellaneous (1)
Supervision at Lund University (5)
- Teke, H. (2019). Increasing Ethical Awareness : The Enhancement of Long-Term Effects of Ethics Teaching: A Quantitative Study. Institutionen för utbildningsvetenskap, Lunds universitet. Dissertation.
- Karlsson, I. (2019). Elever i matematiksvårigheter : Lärare och elever om låga prestationer i matematik. Lund Studies in Educational Sciences, 6. Institutionen för utbildningsvetenskap, Lunds universitet. Dissertation.
- Stenwall, R. (2015). Truth, Grounding & Dependence. Lund University. Dissertation.
- Thorén, H. (2015). The Hammer and the Nail : Interdisciplinarity and Problem Solving in Sustainability Science. Dissertation.
- Wahlberg, L. (2010). Legal Questions and Scientific Answers : Ontological Differences and Epistemic Gaps in the Assessment of Causal Relations. Lund University. Dissertation.
Research portal (Lund University)
Administrative
Tasks
- Dean at Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology
- Chairperson, Academic Appointments Board, Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology
- Chairperson, Faculty Board, Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology
- Chairperson, Fakultetsstyrelsens arbetsutskott, Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology
Other tasks and qualifications
program coordinator luPOD, Lunds universitets postdoktorala program, 2009-2015
prefekt, department of educational sciences, 2011-2014
prefekt, department of philosophy, 2001-2007
Print Mar. 28, 2020 of https://www.fil.lu.se/en/department/staff/person/
